'I Can Play Till 40': Mary Kom Shrugs Off Retirement Doubts After Her "Unfortunate" Exit At Olympics

Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom might have bowed out of the Tokyo Olympics, but the Indian boxing icon has no plans to retire. Her bid for a second Olympic medal came to an unexpected halt when she lost a close fight to Colombia's Ingrit Valencia in the women's flyweight pre-quarterfinals on July 29.

When asked whether she will be making a comeback, the 38-year-old said to ANI, "Yes, yes. Why not? I still have the age. I can play till 40."

Marry Kom Alleges "Poor Judging"

Mary Kom slammed the International Olympics Committee's Boxing Task Force for "poor judging" after losing in the flyweight (48-51kg) category despite winning two of the three rounds. After the suspension of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) for alleged misgovernance and financial wrongdoing, IOC entrusted the Boxing Task Force to conduct the boxing competitions in the Tokyo Olympics.

A Close Fight

The 38-year-old could not believe she had lost the match. Ingrit Valencia, the Columbian pugilist, won the game 3-2 and advanced to the quarter-finals. In the first round, Mark Kom trailed 4-1, with four of the five judges scoring it 10-9 in favour of the Columbian. The Manipuri won the next two rounds, with three of the five judges ruling in favour of the London Games 2012 bronze-medallist. However, Valencia still had the edge over Mary Kom in the overall score-line.

The Indian boxer needed a 4-1 verdict in the final round to swing the match in her favour. The last round ended. Mary Kom thought she had won since she had clinched two rounds after losing the first, but her Columbian opponent was declared the winner. "I should have got the second round unanimously, how was it 3-2? What happened was totally unpredictable," said a dejected Mary Kom. The multiple-time Asian Champion alleged that the decision was manipulated and it was "cheating." She also said that the worst part was there was no scope for review or protest.

The Jersey Change Fiasco

The legendary Indian boxer also took to Twitter to question why she was asked to change her ring dress minutes before the round-of-16 clash against Ingrit Valencia. She further said that she wore the same jersey in the previous match, and nobody had complained. The boxer from Manipur alleged that it was mental harassment and questioned why boxers from other countries were not asked to change.

No Mood To Retire

But the veteran Mary Kom is in no mood to retire. She said that she would take a break, spend time with her family and come back. "If there is any competition, I will continue and try my luck," she said. At present, boxers above 40 years are not eligible to compete at the Olympics. The former Sports Minister, Narinder Batra, said that Mary Kom's loss is unfortunate, but she is already a superstar.

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